I seriously don’t know what I’d do without my layers. For someone like me who gets cold easily, its always nice to have something that I can put on or take off depending on how I feel. Especially if you work in an office like mine that is perpetually ice cold year-round. Not only that, but layers can add dimension to an outfit and therefore increase the number of different outfits you can put together.

A leather (or faux leather) jacket can add a great edgy feel to an outfit. I have a brown faux leather one that I picked up when I was in France, and now looking for a black leather one to round out my collection.

A plain black blazer is a must-have in anyone’s closet. I love this particular one because it’s the perfect length and fit for almost any purpose. It looks great on a skirt, on jeans, and on dress pants.

As a California girl, I never really needed anything warmer than a light jacket until my study abroad experience in France. Since then though, this wool peacoat has come in very handy for my trips across country. So while the material of such a coat depends on where you live, a peacoat is always a great thing to have. I have two: my nicer wool one which I typically don’t wear unless I’m traveling somewhere cold, and my lighter one that I got from Forever 21 which is much more practical for California weather.

I love cardigans in general. They come in so many different cuts and lengths that can be then styled in so many different ways. Its always nice to have a bright cardigan to add a pop to a simple outfit.

Simple, neutral cardigans are also great ones to have to throw onto any outfit. I have grey and cream ones that work really well.

A print cardigan works similarly to a colored cardigan. It can be used if you want to experiment with print mixing, or just to incorporate a print into any look.

And who can forget the trench? Its length makes it the perfect piece to layer over a dress, yet it still works great with jeans and pretty much anything else.

Also keep in mind that all of your button up tops can also be styled as outer layers over another shirt.